Midlothian House Transformed Into Santa's Grotto For Charity

A former miner transforms his house and garden every year into Santa's Grotto to raise money for charity.

David Brown, from Bonnyrigg spends months in advance of Christmas planning his festive decorations that will adorn his house and garden. For the past nine years, he has opened his garden to locals to raise money for charity.

Mr Brown also takes on the role of Father Christmas to meet and greet children during December. He also gives out bags of sweets and a box for letters to Santa. All he asks in return is for families to leave a donation if they can for the charity that he is fundraising for. So far, £1000 has been raised for Marie Curie.

Mr Brown started doing this to cheer up his wife who suffers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a progressive lung disease that makes it difficult for her to breathe. Mr Brown is her carer.

He told STV News:
"It can be quite lonely at times for both of us and I wanted to find something to fill my time with.

"It still makes Anne happy to hear the children outside, sometimes I catch her upstairs with the window open just listening to them laughing."

You can spot Santa in this house in Bonnyrigg from around 3.00pm to 9.00pm!

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